Start a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Make sure you salt it liberally. Cook the pasta per package directions until al dente.
While the pasta water is boiling, start the meatballs and marinara.
First, heat 1 tsp of oil and add the frozen meatballs to the skillet. Stir and then cover with a lid and let the meatballs heat through, stirring occasionally. It took me about 5 minutes.
Remove the meatballs and set aside. In the same skillet, heat ¼ cup of olive oil.
Add the garlic cloves. When they start to simmer and turn very lightly golden (don't let them burn), add the tomatoes and 1 cup of water (Moskin recommends swirling this in the empty tomato can first to get the last of those precious juices out). Add the red pepper flakes and stir.
Place the basil on top of the sauce and, when it wilts, submerge it into the sauce by pressing down with a ladle.
Let the sauce simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes until thickened. Add the meatballs and stir gently. Turn off heat and discard the basil in the sauce.
Serve the marinara with meatballs over cooked spaghetti.